Primer on navigating the marketplace

Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace, one of the key components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, began Oct. 1. Louisiana residents will have until the end of March to sign up for coverage, and coverage begins as early as Jan. 1.

Under the law, starting in 2014, virtually all Americans will be required to have health insurance or pay an annual fee to the government.

When individuals access the marketplace at www.HealthCare.gov, they will fill out an application asking about their household size and income, age, gender and other demographic information. Once completed, the website will display all the health plans available in their area for which they meet the criteria.

From there, individuals can decide which plan works best.

To make plans easier to compare, the exchange divides insurance plans into four levels of coverage and cost — bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

While each plan will cover all the 10 essential health benefits required by law, the categories differ by how much the person will pay out-of-pocket for their medical expenses and how much is covered by the insurance plan.

People with household incomes of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for subsidies from the government. For a single individual, that means an income between $11,490 and $45,960 per year. For a family of four, it’s between $23,550 and $94,200 per year.

Families USA estimates that 353,000 Louisiana residents will be able to receive financial help for health insurance.

People can get assistance in applying for coverage with the help of a “navigator” or other qualified individual. In-person assistance will be available throughout the state to help people enroll in coverage.

To get assistance with enrolling, people can call a 24-hour, toll-free consumer line at 800-318-2596.